LYNK & CO's new 01 is a shareable electric SUV with an open API

Think of electric cars, and it's Tesla that naturally springs to mind. But Geely, the Chinese parent company of Volvo, wants this to change. Today the company launches a new car brand, LYNK & CO, along with not just a new electric vehicle, the 01, but a whole new ownership model.

The 01 -- which will be followed, of course, by the 02, 03, and so on -- is a compact SUV designed for sharing, and it even has its own app store. With connectivity in mind, the 01 has an open API so developers can get to work creating their own apps. Partnerships with Microsoft, Alibaba and Ericsson led to the creation of the platform, and the vehicle offers Apple CarPlay, Mirror Link and Android Auto compatibility.

Like Volvo, the 01 is designed in Sweden, and one of its most interesting features is the way it can be shared. Keyless operation means that it is easy to share access to the car with others, and a dedicated app can be used to grant access remotely. Owners can choose to share their car with specific people for set periods of time, either on the basis of a car-share, or as a way of generating rental income.

While there is no word on pricing at the moment, LYNK & CO wants to keep costs down by avoiding the traditional car dealership arrangement. The 01 and its successors will be available to buy online or in-store, starting in China in 2017 before spreading to the US and Europe.

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Alain Visser, Senior Vice President of LYNK & CO says:

The first car in the LYNK & CO range, the 01, will be the most connected car in the world. Designed for a modern, urban audience who are used to collaborative consumption and all the benefits that this brings. As consumer behaviour changes from valuing experiences over ownerships, LYNK & CO's new model for car usage directly answers to this need. With our app and the LYNK & CO sharing community, both the owner and other member-drivers can easily share a car.

BetaNews is at the LYNK & CO launch event in Berlin, and we'll update with more details later.